1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of toy riding and hobby horses, and more particularly to a three-dimensional toy horse having separable body components with substantially enhanced storage features for shipping economy.
2. Prior Art
The toy children""s riding and hobby horse has been popular for decades. These toy horses have been incorporated into children""s ferris wheels, hobby horses and rollable riding horses of various ridable sizes and configurations. One such device is disclosed by Koller in U.S. Pat. No. 3,423,085 which teaches a resiliently supported hobby horse mounted on pivotable links.
Another hobby horse is taught by Moore in U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,390. In this disclosure, the spring supported hobby horse includes front and rear pivoted legs for simultaneous leg movement with hobby horse motion.
Yet another children""s hobby horse is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,400,396 invented by Denton. This invention is a somewhat two-dimensional representation of a horse wherein a handle through the horses head connected to supporting rope members and a third rope support connected to the tail of the horse allow for riding use by a child wherein the front and rear legs are pivotably movable for enhanced enjoyment.
A knock-down toy horse is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,537 invented by Chau-Pin which teaches a rigid structure assembled of components with appropriate tenons and mortises for shipping economy and then for repeated erection and dismantlement by children for educational purposes.
Ryan, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,957 teaches a rocking horse with moving legs while the following U.S. Patents also teach variations of toy rocking horses and hobby horses for children""s action play.
U.S. Pat. 3,090,618 to Brent
U.S. Pat. 4,575,072 to Russell
U.S. Pat. 3,224,723 to Moore
U.S. Pat. 3,999,771 to Lohr
U.S. Pat. 6,036,604 to Klitsner
U.S. Pat. 4,690,397 to Abed
U.S. Pat. 5,328,410 to Amburgey.
The present invention teaches a toy horse of the ridable size for children in various forms with enhanced shipping economy by structurally permitting storage of the attachable head member and front and rear legs within the hollow interior volume of the main horse body or torso itself.
This invention is directed to a three dimensional toy horse formed of separate connectable parts and being suitable for incorporation into children""s riding and hobby horse toys. The toy horse includes a substantially hollow main horse body having a neck opening and front and rear leg receiving portions. A horse head is matingly connectable to the neck opening as are the front and rear legs, which are connectable to corresponding front and rear leg receiving portions. The main horse body has a hollow interior volume sized to receive and store the horse head therein and also preferably, the front and rear legs for economy of shipping and storage space thereof.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional toy horse with substantial shipping advantage offered by the means of component storage thereof.
It is another object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional toy horse of the ridable size by children which may be incorporated into any of various children""s toy horses such as that of a hobby horse, a rollable ground-supported toy horse and various action rides and which is easily assemblable with minimal structural component features requiring assembly.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a three-dimensional toy horse wherein, prior to their attachment to the hollow main body, the head member and the front and rear leg members are storable within the main body of the horse for substantial economy of shipment.